CATEGORIES

A Swell Sou'Easter

Southeast winds and south coast swell prove the perfect ingredients to fire up Dorset’s finest wave, Kimmeridge, for some rare port tack down the line action. On scene to score it with the lucky locals were Timo Mullen, Andy Chambers and Paul Hunt. They tell us just why it was a day to remember.

Progression

““Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw.

TEAM15

The RYA tell us more about their Team15 programme for young windsurfers.

Sword Wars

The quest for the legendary Tiree sword attracted 86 like-minded windsurfers to this remote Scottish island for the 32nd Tiree Wave Classic. 50-70 knot winds greeted those that arrived early, whilst also playing havoc with the ferry timetable for those due to arrive on the opening day. With extra ferries organized and everyone in place, a second storm loomed and duly delivered with competition taking place from dawn until dusk at the Maze on Tuesday. Our senior highlands reporter, wee Willie-John McCarter, put on his best wellies, kilt and tartan and flew to the Hebrides to snap some bonnie shots and find out what the various locals and Sassenachs present thought of this year’s event.

Super Kai

It’s not that Kai Lenny needs no introduction, it’s where do you start. Universally accepted as the greatest all-round surf sport athlete on the planet right now, his talent transcends normal human performance. He holds multiple world champion SUP titles, has won a professional big wave surfing contest and is a former kitesurfing wave world vice-champion, not to mention the unofficial king of surf foiling. But windsurfing was what started Kai’s watersports career and to this day he still remains true to his roots and, as anybody who has seen him sail, is still able to give the best in the world more than a run for their money. Gifted, smart and articulate, Kai is a sponsor’s dream and has a list of blue-chip companies who support his class act. John Carter sits down with the affable Hawaiian to learn more about the secrets behind his skills and success.

Footloose: Gybing Footwork

This month we look at footwork in the gybe. It is not as complex as you think and specific actions will make you light on your feet and put precision into your gybes. Get this phase right and the nirvana of either your first gybe exit, or even a planing gybe exit, is so much closer! The best news is you can really practice the footwork at slower speeds in light winds and on bigger boards.

The New Dimensions Of Joyride

Fast freeride, freerace or blasting boards - call them what you will, the idea is to go as fast as possible, as easily as possible, no matter what the sea state. It is all about gaining maximum straight-line return for minimal rider input, flattering the rider and leave them buzzing from their session. Freerace was the natural progression when the freeride phenomenon took hold, bridging the gap between the passive freeride (read a propensity for ‘dullness’ in the eyes of experienced riders) and the downright terrifying in a slalom board.

Freerace Sails Test

There is nothing quite like going flat out on a windsurfing board. It is very likely to be the reason most of you reading this were drawn to the sport in the first place. In the sport’s brief history, if you took a snapshot from any activity-focussed beach with a variety of watersports going on, it would always be the windsurfer that would grab the attention and limelight. Your eyes (and the cameras) naturally follow whatever is moving the fastest!

Wave Board Tuning

I have previously highlighted how one of the ‘greyer’ areas of our sport is kit tuning. So as we welcome spring, I examine how to get the very best out of our wave boards, explaining what we can change to extract better performance across a range of conditions and levels. You can also refer back to previous pieces on tuning Freemoves and FSW’s for reflection and comparison.

Hellenic Odyssey

Jono Dunnett continues to inspire with his epic journey round Europe. We join him this month as he recounts his passage along the Greek coast and onward to Turkey, where after much consideration his journey takes a pivotal step. Read on as Jono reflects on his winter travels.

Ice And Irony

Austrian freestyle pro Max Matissek always wanted to visit Iceland and windsurf amongst the icebergs. To make his dream a reality would not be easy though; a test of patience and an ironic twist to the tale, read on as Max tells us more about his mission.

Get Hooked On Windsurfing!

The RYA tell us more about their initiative to get more people hooked on the best sport in the world – windsurfing!

Redcar Wind Power

The northeast coast of England on its day has some of the best surfing and windsurfing conditions in the UK, but many of the spots are a closely guarded secret or off the beaten track. Redcar though is a well known windsurfing beach and its credentials as a windy spot not in doubt given the huge wind farm just offshore. John Carter, Timo Mullen and Steve Thorp fill us in on a recent Redcar session, one of the North Sea’s top windsurfing spots.

Northern Exposure

With the recent news that the magnetic north pole is on the move and speeding rapidly towards Russia, we’re taking the opportunity this issue to recalibrate our editorial ‘compass’ and review windsurfing’s northern latitudes.

Sardinia

Sardinia offers conditions for all levels of windsurfer and every sort of water state from waves to flat water, all served with a healthy slice of Italian style. RRD’s International Marketing & Team manager, Matteo Guazzoni, gives us a guide to the island and why it is a favoured base for their distributor meeting.

Deutschland Days

Maui born and bred, Graham Ezzy seems an unlikely transplant to Germany, but for part of year the Hawaiian swaps Ho’okipa for Hamburg and Pacific swells for North Sea surf. Graham reflects on his Deutschland days.

Northern Lure

A land of rugged beauty with stunning seascapes and mountains, the beauty of Norway’s Lofoten Islands drew freestylers Adam Sims and Oda Johanne Brødholt north to explore its windsurfing. Adam and Oda report back on their adventures.

2019 Winter Travel Guide

Need help planning your great winter getaway? Life can be tough enough, let alone having to figure out what corner of the planet is warm and windy. It’s like trying to pick a favourite child …or biscuit. Fear not though, in your greatest time of need, we are here, sometimes, unless it’s above 12 knots then we are very busy finding excuses to leave the office. But regardless of our dodgy work practices, let us park your thinking cap and relieve you of your burden with our specially designed pages of winter travel information, wit and wonder. Well, maybe just information, but it’s the thought that counts. So if you fancy swapping your booties for board shorts then read on as Jane Faughnan from Sportif Travel and Marcus Bull from Planet Windsurf pick their favourite winter destinations and we provide micro-guides to a selection of windsurfing spots that don’t need seven layers of neoprene for a session in January!

Foil Racing UK

2019 has witnessed an explosion of UK Windsurfing Association (UKWA) foil racing; Rod Davis of the UKWA gives us an insight into the competition series.

Stance

Getting your stance right is a bit like eating your vegetables. We know it’s important and done right could have a dramatic impact, but it’s maybe not as exciting as other things we could be getting stuck into! However, stance is the one bit of windsurfing that joins every single move together, so if you get it right it will allow a huge amount of progression. It’s also the most important thing for sorting your entry to moves, which is where most issues occur.

The One Hour Classic

The ‘One Hour Classic’ is a unique windsurfing race held in Lake Garda and 2019 marked its 30th anniversary. The aim of the race is to reach in 1 hour the largest number of laps around a course defined by two marks positioned on opposite sides of the lake. John Skye flew the flag in the event for the UK and his sponsor RRD; he recounts his experience of the event.

Back Up And Riding

Harty tells us why Dave ‘Whitey’ White, 2 years after a stroke, takes resilience to a new level.

Windsurfers' Rights

The RYA tell us of their work in promoting and protecting windsurfers’ rights.

2019 - Iberia & Canary Islands Travel Guide

The coastlines of Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands have long been a draw for UK windsurfers. The combination of a short travel time, good value and an abundance of wind is hard to beat. Add in good food and great people and the reasons to go get even longer. Check out our guide to this popular windsurf holiday area with advice from Jane Faughan of Sportif Travel and Marcus Bull from Planet Windsurf and micro guides to some of the best windsurf centres in the region.

Move On Up - One Handed Jumps

This month we look at letting go in order to boost and enjoy our jumps even more. One-handed jumps will really improve your regular jumps and they also feel awesome.

Peter Hart Tech - Technique Heaven And Heli (Tack)

The helicopter tack is a classic. It’s not only very useful in variety of situations, but also introduces you to the vital skill of backwind sailing.

The Art Of Risk

2018 PWA Slalom Women’s Vice World Champion Lena Erdil suffered a serious foot injury last year in Pozo, taking her off the water for over 8 months. Lena talks us through her rehab, valuable life lessons learned and reflects on the art of risk-taking in her chosen profession.

Racing Tips

Youth Olympic bronze medallist Finn Hawkins gives us his top racing tips!

Brazilian Charms

Jericoacoara and northeastern Brazil blew into the windsurfing world’s attention over ten years ago. Its famous beaches were once voted the best in the world and have matured into one of the most popular and reliable windsurfing destinations in the world. Since its discovery, boutique hotels have been built to cater for the cosmopolitan band of ‘windies’ who frequent its shores, but has the area forgotten its roots? Ollie Acton, marketing manager for local windsurf centre Club Ventos, share his thoughts while Peter Hart and Jem Hall tell us of their love for its shores.

Switching Lanes

Maui is famous for its starboard tack wavesailing and the pro’s playground of Ho’okipa but this winter saw it’s neighbouring break of ‘Lanes’ steal the limelight as port tack Kona winds and a hefty swell lit up its lefthanders for one of the best days of the season. The pros aren’t immune to being caught offguard on the opposite tack to their regular Maui starboard conditions but Swifty, Pozza and Brawzinho know the tricks to still put on a captivating show. They tell us more about the day and give us the benefit of their experience on switching to the opposite tack and banging out huge aerials on the thumping lips of Lanes.